It is “unacceptable” that so much public money is spent on legal fees for clinical negligence claims and the government needs to take action, MPs said today. During the same period, NHS’s legal costs increased in real terms from £76m to £159m but fell as a share of total settled costs (from 7% to 4%). NHS Resolution told MPs that it had broadly kept the increase in defence costs level with inflation by using fixed and capped rates for its external legal support. The report said: “At 19% of total settled claim costs it is unacceptable that so much taxpayers’ money continues to be spent on legal fees. NHS Resolution has worked hard to increase the number of claims resolved without litigation (83% in 2024-25, up from 66% in 2006-07).